Pages

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Never Forget 9/11

Ten years ago today I was sound asleep, comfortable and safe in my own bed. My father knocked on my door and stirred me slightly from the deep sleep I had found myself in, mentioned something of a plane in New York and left my room. I was so out of it then, I could not tell you how much he had said or what exactly he had said at all really. I do remember it didn’t sit well with me though, because it just didn’t make sense. The whole thing just seemed very strange and felt quite unsettling. Of course that naturally woke me up from the slumber I had been in and provoked me to make my way down the stairs in my childhood home. I found members of my immediate family sitting with eyes wide open (some with tears) in shock looking to the television screen in the living room. Something pulled at my heart strings, before I even knew what they were watching. I remember I ran into my dad pretty quickly once I was down the steps and asked him what he had said about a plane in New York – and that’s when my father told me and I finally understood how our country was attacked. My heart instantly sank and I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach. I ended up bawling my eyes out that day and several to follow; not only for my country – as I am a proud American, but for people I didn’t even know who were involved directly at ‘ground zero’. I could not begin to imagine the horror those people had to undertake that day, as well as the days following.

Over the past decade I’ve often thought how incredibly sad it is to know that September 11th of 2001 will just be marked in a history book someday. To know children who weren’t even a mere thought yet, or perhaps just far too young to understand what was going on will learn about it in school. This heart wrenching massive event that occurred will be no more then a lesson plan for some teacher to share with their students in the future. It really makes me stop and think back to how many times when I was learning American history in my school days, did I take that knowledge for granted. I can honestly say I didn’t appreciate those lessons taught to me then, like I do now. It furthermore baffles the brain to think how many times I’ve heard older generations say “Where were you when…” – and then filled in the blank with a tragedy they were alive for. Now, “Where were you when 9/11 happened?” is the question to circulate with those of us who were alive and around for it. When I was much younger, I didn’t get the significance of such questions and now I wonder, will our future generations understand the dramatic tragedy this truly was and is for us?

Now here we are ten years later from the horrifying attacks on our country. It’s hard to believe a decade of time has already passed. I still remember receiving the news and being glued to the television and radio for updates like it just happened. I may not have been anywhere near where those four crashes took place at the time, but it certainly is a tragedy this country has had to suffer that I will never forget. I carry a special place in my heart to those who have lost and suffered so much because of those events. I continue to pray those who lost their lives may rest in peace and those who lost their loved ones may someday find peace.

I love being an American. I love the freedom I have here and I thank God for every single man and woman who serves our great country. Not just our amazing military, but our police officers, our fire fighters and even our paramedics and other medical field members. These people, who fight and literally risk their own lives to keep ours safe, protected and allow us the ability to be free as we are. I am not only so proud, but I am also very humbled to be able to even say I am an American.

With that, I invite everyone who reads this to join me in a moment of silence today, out of respect for all those innocent people who have lost and suffered severely. To always remember what has occurred. Never forget September 11th.